Table of Contents
What mineral can be scratched by Penny?
calcite
A mineral or other material with a higher hardness number can scratch anything with an equal or lower number. Thus, a copper penny can scratch calcite, gypsum and talc, while a fingernail can scratch only gypsum and talc. A piece of quartz can scratch fluorite but it cannot scratch topaz.
What mineral is softer than a penny?
In the interest of science, we tested a quarter, a dime and a nickel against the penny and against calcite. The quarter and dime were slightly softer than the penny and the nickel was slightly harder, but all were scratched by calcite.
When tested for hardness A penny can scratch it?
The Mohs Hardness Scale ranks the order of hardness of minerals and some common objects. For example, your fingernail can scratch the minerals talc and gypsum, with a hardness of 2 or lower. A copper penny can scratch calcite, gypsum, and talc.
Which mineral is harder than a steel nail?
Mineral Hardness Test Video
| Mineral | Hardness |
|---|---|
| Calcite | |
| INTERMEDIATE Mineral cannot be scratched with a fingernail but can be scratched with a steel nail. | |
| Gypsum | |
| SOFT Mineral can be scratched with a fingernail |
What mineral can scratch fluorite?
It can be scratched by topaz, corundum, and diamond. Quartz will scratch minerals that have a lower number on the scale. Fluorite is one…. Mohs Hardness Scale.
Which minerals would all scratch apatite?
The hardest mineral on Mohs’ scale is diamond. Apatite can scratch fluorite, calcite, talc, and gypsum. Fluorite cannot scratch apatite, but it can scratch talc, gypsum, and calcite.
What minerals can scratch diamond?
Diamond is the hardest mineral; no other mineral can scratch a diamond. Quartz is a 7. It can be scratched by topaz, corundum, and diamond.
Can a penny scratch fluorite?
A minerals rating on the hardness scale is determined by a scratch test. Since Fluorite is a 4 on the scale it means that fluorite can scratch all the minerals below it but not be scratched by them. Also if a penny can scratch a mineral it rates a 3, a fingernail is 2.5, knife blade 5.5, glass 5.5 and steel file 6.5.
Which of the following minerals is most easily scratched?
Hardness
| mineral | Mohs hardness | observations on the minerals |
|---|---|---|
| quartz | 7 | scratches glass easily |
| topaz | 8 | scratches glass very easily |
| corundum | 9 | cuts glass |
| diamond | 10 | used as a glass cutter |
What mineral is harder than glass but softer than steel?
| MINERAL NAME | LUSTER (appearance) | HARDNESS |
|---|---|---|
| Fluorite | Non-metallic (purple, green, yellow) | Softer than glass |
| Calcite | Non-metallic | Softer than glass |
| Halite | Non-metallic | Softer than glass |
| Gypsum | Non-metallic | Softer than glass and softer than a fingernail |
Is it possible to scratch a penny with a diamond?
If the specimen does not scratch with a penny, try a knife blade or glass. A diamond can only be scratched by another diamond. One last test that is commonly used is called a streak test.
Is there a mineral that can scratch glass?
Proceeding with the glass plate, the mineral is unable to scratch the glass (hardness = 5.5) at all. This mineral is about 4.0 on the Mohs scale. (If a mineral indeed scratches glass, you will be unable to wipe the scratch away.)
How can you tell the hardness of a mineral?
If you get a scratch with the copper but not with the fingernail, you know that the mineral has a hardness of at least 3 since that’s the hardness of the copper. If you’re unsure whether your mineral or the penny is harder, try scratching the penny with the mineral.
What’s the hardness of a diamond if you scratch it?
If you are able to scratch your specimen with the penny but not with your fingernail, it has a hardness between 2.5 and 3.5. If the specimen does not scratch with a penny, try a knife blade or glass. A diamond can only be scratched by another diamond.